Ripples of crystalline water rebounded from lacquered wellington boots and chunky, holographic running shoes across a tranquil pool at the historic École Militaire, a training ground founded by King Louis XV in 16th century France.
The collection was Matthew M. Williams‘ second opportunity to combine the house’s decades-old brand codes with the immersive technology that inspires and shapes his contemporary fashions, as well as his first standalone menswear collection at the house.
The designer started with the standard components of any American wardrobe: logo t-shirts, embroidered jackets and shirts. Then he ripped sleeves from squeaky clean cycling jackets, cropped dark denim into long cargo shorts, and referred to punk in skin-tight leather bondage pants swarmed by silver teethed zips.
His later collection introduced an array of flashy, glowstick hues into the fold, first in logo-printed balaclavas and shell-suit jackets, then in abstract camo prints that adorned the house’s rigid blousons and utilitarian army pants.
“This show is a reflection of myself and the men who surround me, from my close friends to the artists who inspire my work,” said Williams of the mixture of archetypes that swarmed the runway, from the collegiate codes that curled varsity monograms over salmon track-tops and double-waisted sweats, to the ornately tailored dusters and layers of frayed jersey. “It’s a dialogue with the time and culture that shape the way men dress today and tomorrow: the way new generations embrace and evolve the archetypes and dress codes of the past through their own progressive outlook.”
